Potato digger and harvester.



A. AMESS. POTATO DIGGER AND HARVBSTER, APPLICATION FILED P21211911, 1,010,106, Patented NOV.28,1911.

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A. AMESS. POTATO BIGGER AND HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1911.

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Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

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A. AMESS. IOTATO BIGGER AND HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.2'T,1911. 1,010,106. Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

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A. AMBSS.

POTATO DIGGER AND HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED $313.27, 1911.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

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operate to continuously dig up the potatoes ,tional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

' UNITED STATES AGNESS AMESS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

POTATO DIGGER AND HARVESTER.

1,010,10 Specification of Applicatien filed February 2 T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AoxEss-Armss, a citizen of the United States, residingin the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Potato Diggers and Harvesters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a certain new and useful device for digging and harvesting potatoes and kindred products, the operation being performed in a. continuous manner the machine is driven over the ground.

The invention consists essentially in amachi'le of the above character which shall and deposit them on an endless elevator which, in turn, delivers them into a chute, whence they pass to the sacks. v

Various details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts are in cluded within the scope of the invention, but these will be more clearly understood from the detailed description to follow.

In the accompanying drawingsFigure 1 is a plan view of a machine constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2 is a view inside elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a secviewed in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4- is a view partly in broken elevation and partly in section, looking at the front of the machine; Fig. 5 is a detailed view illustrating one of the bag holders; Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6--0 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is an enlarged broken sectional view of a portion of the elevating wheel, the view being taken substantially on the line T7 of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is likewise an enlarged broken sectional view taken on the line S8 of Fig. 1; Fig. 9 is an enlarged broken horizontal sectional view of the elevating wheel.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the main axle of the machine on which is mounted the elevating wheel 2, which also operates as one of the supporting wheels of the machine. The axle 1l is rectangular and'is hollow for a portion of its length at the end opposite that on Letters Patent.

7, 1911. Serial No. 611,192.

various adjusted positions, according to the width of the rows of potatoes, by means of a pin 6 passing through the axle l and through one or the other of the apertures 5. Secured on the axle 1 is a rectangular frame 7 which at the rear of the axle has downwardly extending portions 8 on which is supported a platform 9 for the use of an attendant, who places the bags in position to be filled and removes them after they are filled. The elevating wheel 2 consists of a hub 10 from which radiate a series of spokes 11, and of a number of rings 12 which are separated by means of distance blocks 13 located in transverse series at suitable intervals throughoutthe circumference of the wheel. Bolts 14 extend through said rings and said distance blocks, and through the outer ends of the spokes 11 to secure the said rings to the spokes and to each other to form a rigid structure. I have shown the wheel 2 as having eleven of the rings 12, but obviously this number could be varied. Between each pair of rings 12 I secure a finger 15, which fingers extend upwardly and are curved rearwardly with respect to the base line of the machine. These fingers likewise serve to brace the rings 12, but instead of,

being arranged to extend in a straight direction across the periphery of the wheel, each series of fingers is arranged in two or more sets, the fingers in each set being located successively the one in advance of the other, or en cizclon. In the drawings I have shown in each series, two sets of fingers of four each, and an outer set of two each, which latter may be arranged side by side. The purpose of this construction will be defined later on.

The outer side of the elevating wheel 2 is preferably provided with a series of concentric wires 16 extending in spaced relation from near the rim of the wheel a given distance toward the center thereof to form a guard to. prevent the potatoe from falling out of the wheel at the side. It will be seen from the foregoing that the elevating wheel is of open-work construction, spaces being which the wheel 2 is mounted, and inserteds/ pl'ovided between the rings 12, the fingers in the hollow portion, and fitting snugly therein, is an adjustable axle 3, bent downward and outward at right angles to itself, and on the outer portion is mounted a wheel 4. The adjustable axle 3 is provided with a number of vertically-disposed apertures 5 by means of which the axle may be held in 15 and the wires or guards 16, whereby to permit the soil thrown into the wheel to freely escape from the same during the latters rotation. Pivotally supported on hangers 17 depending from the frame 7 on the side thereof adjacent to the elevating wheel is a bent crank arm 18 pivotally connected Patented Nov. 28, 1911. I

to wliich is the lower end of a link, 19. The upper end of the said link is connected to the outer end of one member'20 of a bellcrank '1ever w hich is pivoted at 21 on the frame 7, the other member of said bell-crank lever forming a' lever-arm 22 which is provided with a spring detent 23 operated by a lever 24 pivotally mounted on the lever arm 22. Mounted on the frame 7 is. a segmental.

rack 25 between the teeth of which the detent 23 is adapted to engage.

26 indicates a plow-beam'whieh is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the crank arm :18 and is provided with a plowshare 27: and a draft device 28, in the usual manner. By releasing the detent from the rack 25, and moving the lever-arm 22, theplowshare may be lowered or elevated to vary the depth towhich' itwill pass into the .clines downwardly from its inner to its outer side, the latter being the side adjacent to the elevating wheel 2, and has-the compound! curved shape of the ordinary mold-board.

" The outer 'side of the plowshare and of .the

open-work moId bQard are in close proximity to the inner side of the elevating wheel 2 so. that as the plowshare passes through the soil the earth and potatoes will ride up on the saidmold-board and be continuously thrown over into the elevating wheel. portion of the soil, of course, passes between the bars-of the mold-board, said bars being placed sufiiciently close together, however, to

' prevent the potatoes passing between them.

Mounted on the frame 7 is a sheet, metal dirt-guard or deflector, 32, which is inclined outwardly from its top to its bottom to cause, to project well within the elevating-wheel, and its lower end to be positioned close to the side thereof, whereby to prevent any'dirt (carried up by the wheel from falling back on to the potatoes in the lower part of the wheel, the member 32 causing such falling dirt to be deflected outward through the side of the wheel. The deflector 32 is extended 'upward above'the frame 7 and is-there formed in two'parts33 and 34, providing a central opening- 35 to permit the passage of the potatoes from a chute 30, the upper end of which'projects.\vcll within the elevating wheel 2 and is located sufiiciently. close to.

the side of said elevating wheel to prevent the passage of the potatoes between it and said wheeL' A portion of the plate forming to the main frame 7., i

saidtdeflector is extended downward in close proximity to the inner side of the wheel, as indicated at 32, such portion being located directly to the rear of the mold-board of the plowshare, and operating to prevent thepotatoes from falling out of the inner'side of thewheel at the rear of said mold-board.

The chute 36 comprises a rectangular framemember 37, said frame member being composed preferably of a single metal bar bent upon itself atright angles at opposite ends to formathree-sided frame,the inner ends of said bar being then bent downwardly at right angles, as indicated at 38, and secured Extending downwardly and inwardly from the outer side of the frame 37 are parallel,

.spaced b ars 39 which form the bottom of the chute and extend to the opening 35 afforded by the guard. members 33and'34 and termi-' nate at an inclined platform 40 extending inward beyond the guards 33 and 34,as more clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Similar-bars extend from the ends of the; frame inward to the sides of the bottom of the chute.

Mounted on the platform 40 are two deflectors Hand 42 which diverge from a vertically-disposed pivot member-43 on which is pivotally mounted a swinging gate 44.

The deflectors 41 and 42 provide two outlet-s 4,5 and 46 from the platform 40, and by turning the gate -tl toward one or the other of the guard members 33 and 34 the potatoes may be directedto pass.through-one or the other of the said outlets into the bag supported beneath the same in the manner hereinafter described. The gate at while in a position to direet the potatoes through one outlet will I prevent their passage to the other outlet, as

will be clearly'understood.

The frame Thas a central member 47 on which is mounted a seat 48 for the driver. This centralmember or beam 47 projects rearwardly beyond the axle .1.- lhe said beam is angular in shape, as

Slltjt'n by Fig. 6, and is provided toward ts rear end at the angle with a' slot 48?.

Slidably mounted in this beam at the real end thereof 15-1111 arm 49 which is aperture'd -and is held in slidable engagement with'the beam 47 by meansof a-bolt 50. The "arm 49 is bent at right angles to itself at its outer end, as indicated at 51, the extension 5l.being provided at its outer end, on itsouter side, with a hook 52. .thlrrounding the beam 47 and arm 49 is a coil spring 53 which tends normally to force the arm 49 out ward. At the inner end ofthe platform 40 there is a vertically-disposed guard at for difreeting the potatoes through the outlet 46, and 12 on the inner end of th s guard provided a hook 55.- A snmlarrhook 56 is provided toward the outerjend of the arm 49, and

another similar hook 57 is provided on the; .beam 47 adjacent to the axle l, the latter -las hook being shown in Fig. 3. A bag being supported on the hooks 55 and'57 and 52 and.

56, the latter hooks being on the arm 49, the

coil spring will press the mouth of the bag open and maintain it in such position so tha' potatoes passing through the outlet 46 Will.

' "Trbagundeethe outlet 45 and the-other under the outlet &6. The guards 33 and 3 1, as indicated more clearly in Figs. 1, 3 and 4 of the drawings, are located directly in front of the chute 36, in order to prevent the potatoes from passing through the chute except at the bottom thereof through the opening 35. I

It is necessary also to insure that the potatoes shall not drop from the fingers of the elevating wheel, except into the chute 36. To this end I further secure at the top of the chute 36 along one end thereof the upper end of a series of curved rods 59, which are in spaced parallel relation, the lower end of said rods being secured in an outwardly projecting bar 60 forming an integral part of a hanger 61 which is secured.

to the frame 7. As will be seen, particularly in Figs. 2 and 7, the grating formed by the curved rods 59 is located at the lifting side of the wheel and in sufficiently, close proximity to the fingers 15 to prevent a potato from falling between said fingers and said rods. As clearly shown by Fig. 9, the fingers 15 have a staggered relation to the rods 59; that is, each finger is opposite the space between two rods.

62 indicates the tongue of the machine.

In operation, the plowshare having been adjusted to the required height by manipulating the leverarm 22, the machine is start-' ed in operation by being driven in the ordinary manner, the driver occupying the seat 48, and an attendant'standing on the platform 9 to attend to the bags. The plowshare, of course, is positioned to pass under the row of potatoes, and as the furrow is made the soil will pass up on the openwork mold-board 29, a part of the soil falling between the bars 30. Some of the soil, however, with the potatoes, Will be caused, by the inclination and curvature of the 9 mold-board, to pass into the elevating wheel 2, and as this wheel turns the potatoes and earth will be elevated. By having the fingers 15 arranged in-the manner described the potatoes will be prevented from resting 65 in a relatively fixed position, and will fall from one finger on to the next, thereby knocking the dirt from the potatoes, and as l the drop of the fingers, relative to the lifting side of the wheel, is toward the outer side thereof, the potatoes will thereby be continuously thrown toward said outer side of the wheel and be prevented from falling out of the front side. The dirt knocked off of the potatoes, as well as that thrown into the wheel by the plow, will fall through the rings of the wheel. As the wheel continues to revolve the potatoes on the lifting side of the wheel may have a tendency to fall off of the fingers and drop to the bottom of the wheel. This is prevented by the provision of the guard formed by the curved rods 59, which will prevent any potatoes falling or dropping to the bottom of the wheel, and will support them until they are carried over the end of said bars and drop into the chute. been elevated a given distance they will fall off of the fingers 15 into the chute 36, which, being composed on its bottom and sides of spaced bars, in the manner of a grate, will permit any dirt dislodged from the potatoes or carried up by the fingers to pass through the bars of the chute so that the potatoes will'pass out. of such chute relatively clean. The potatoes now pass out from the chute ,on to the inclined platform 10 and then through one or the other of the outlets 45, 46, into the corresponding bag supported on the bag holders. As such bag is filled the attendant standing on the platform 9 will move the gate 44 to close the entrance to that outlet and simultaneously open the way to the other outlet, whence the potatoes will drop into the second bag. The attendant will then remove the filled bag and adjust an empty bag into its place.

.The operation of the machine is continuous, and .as will be seen, not only are the potatoes dug, elevated and sacked, but, owing to the rotationof the wheel 2 and of the arrangement of the fingers 15, which insures a certain degree of rolling action to the potatoes, the latter are cleaned from adhering dirt as well. i

I may provide a series of curved concentric rods 63, spaced an appropriate distance apart, and rising from the side frame-mem ber of the chute to further insure the falling of the potatoes into the chute and to prevent them from falling out-0f the side of the wheel.

I claim:

1. A wheeled machine for digging and harvesting potatoes, comprising a hollow wheel having an open inner side and provided with inwardly-extending fingers arranged around its circumference, a potato digging device carried by said machine and adapted to continuously deliver potatoes into the said Wheel, and a chute extending After the potatoes have into said wheel for receiving potatoes falling from said fingers, said chute having a discharge outlet. 1 2. A wheeled machine for'digging and harvesting potatoes, comprising a hollow wheel, having an open inner side and provided with inwardly-extending fingers arranged around the circumference thereof, a

chutc'mounted on the machine and projecting into saidwheel for receiving the potatoes falling from said fingers, and a guard locatedat' one end of said chute and-extending in proximity to said fingers on the liftng side of the Wheel.

3. A wheeled machine for "digging and elevating potatoes, comprising 7 a hollow open-work wheel having an open inner side,

' inwardly-extending fingers located at intersaid ou'tletsI a board,- a hollow wheel Wardly extending vals around the circumference of said wheel on the interior thereof, a potato digger car- 'ried by' the machine and operating to continuously deliver potatoes into said wheel, and a "chutemounted on the'niachine and projecting into said wheel for receiving potatoes as discharged from said fingers, a plurality of discl1argeoutlets leading from said chute, a bag holder located adjacent to each outlet, and means for delivering the potatoes from said chute through either of -4'. A Wheeled machine for continuously digging and. harvesting potatoes, comprising a'. plowshare having a grated mold- 7 having its periphery composed of a series of spaced rings located 'sufl'iciently close together to prevent ,potatoes from falling through the-spaces, said wheel being open on its inner side and having such inner side located in close proximity to said plowshare, a plurality of infingers arranged around the interior of said wheel, and means carried by said machine for receiving and conveying away the potatoes elevated and discharged by said wheel. a

5. A wheeled machine for continuously digging and harvesting potatoes, compris-- scribed, in combination with a potato digger and a wheel having inwardly-extending fingers arranged at intervals around its cirarranged curnference and adapted to rcceivethe potatoes from said potato digger, and with a chute for receiving and conveying away potatoes falling from said fingers, a guard arranged on the interior of said wheel and eX- tending substantially across the width thereof on the lifting side of the wheel, said guard being arranged the ends cfsaid fingers and extending substantially from the horizontal axialline of the machine to the upper edge of said chute.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- IIBSSES.

AGNE-SS AMESS.

Witnesses:

"JAMES C. BRAIN,

XVILLIAM H, ANDERIOH.

in close proximity to 

